How did a simple panda change everything?
by EspirituDelMar
Summary: In the middle of his morning routine, Shifu realizes how different, and how much better, his life is now compared to how it was before Po got elected as the Dragon Warrior. This is just a short, fluffy fic about Po and Shifu and their familial relationship, because there aren't enough of those. T for a bit of language, and to be safe.


**So, it's been a long time since I've watched the Kung Fu Panda movies, and last night I watched the first one. As I don't remember the other two, this fic is AU from the end of the first movie onwards.**

 **Please enjoy! :)**

* * *

It is curious, how slow, progressive changes, no matter how big they are, are impossible to notice before they have already happened. And how that realization comes at the most unexpected of times.

Shifu had that realization in the middle of his morning routine. The catalyst?

A laugh.

It was a normal sound on the Jade Palace. There was laughter at dinner, usually thanks to jokes told by the goofy Dragon Warrior, most commonly known as Po. There was laughter when training, because even though Po was a good warrior, he still was the clumsiest warrior Shifu has ever seen. There was laughter in the mornings, when Po wasn't the most coherent animal in the world and, even though Shifu couldn't believe it until he saw it for himself, Po's usual clumsiness _doubled_ when he was just out of bed.

All in all, laughter was a common occurrence. Daily, even. Or if not, there were smiles and good-humored teasing. Even Tigress had burst out laughing. Hell, even _himself_ had. Ever since Tai Lung's defeat, laughter has come easier to him.

No, that wasn't right, Shifu had thought to himself. And here is when the realization kicked in.

It wasn't Tai Lung's defeat. It was Po.

The moment he decided to trust his master and believe in the Dragon Warrior, the moment he decided to accept the panda that was looking at him with sad, hurt eyes, telling him how he'd hoped Shifu would be able to make him turn into something different from being himself.

The moment he trusted Po, something within himself changed.

And with that, everything around him changed as well.

Why was it so difficult to remember the old days at the temple? When the halls were only filled with the shouts of kung-fu masters training, when dinner times were solemn and quiet?

When everything was still, when Shifu had control?

When did all that change? No, screw that question, it was already answered. 'How' was the real question. How did a simple panda change it? Po was nothing special. He was clumsy, fat, and had turned eating into a superpower.

And he still changed things.

'Just look at me right now' Shifu thought. His old morning routine consisted in waking up way before the sun had raised, and train after a frugal, and lonely, breakfast. Then he would go to his pupil's rooms and wait for the bell to wake them up before starting training them. It was a silent and peaceful routine.

Now though? His mornings were anything _but_ silent. Po may be clumsy in the mornings, but some days he managed to be stealthy enough to sneak into the pantry and eat all their food. It wasn't strange to find one of the five furious standing guard during the night just in case, because if Po managed to get inside then one of them would have to quickly go buy more supplies at the village, and even though it was a great training exercise to see how quickly one could go down and up to the palace again, not even Tigress could help being grouchy for doing it with an empty stomach.

Anyway, his morning routine now involved breaking out the squabble between his children (and when had he started to think about them like that?), sometimes even stopping Po from raiding the pantry himself. It involved exasperatedly sighing to cover his chuckles at training. It involved animated breakfasts, and sometimes even playing go against Po's dad (he _would_ beat him someday, he swore).

His morning routine now involved chaos. And funnily enough, he wouldn't change it for the world. He was more at peace now, in the middle of the chaos, than he was in his daily meditating.

And all thanks to Po.

And talking about the panda, it was time he told him something he had been meaning to say for too long now.

* * *

It was in the middle of the night when Po woke up.

It was unusual for him to wake up so early (or late), but as he did every time he woke up, no matter the hour, he looked around to assure himself that yes, he was in his room at the Jade Palace. He was the Dragon Warrior, for real. It wasn't a dream.

Relieved and satisfied, he laid back again, trying to fall back to sleep. But after a few minutes he gave up, knowing he wouldn't be able.

He stepped out if his bed, and with learned stealth he quickly tiptoed through the corridor without making any noise that could wake up the rest. And as always, he wound up sitting next to the old peach tree, munching on a peach while watching the stars.

It still amazed him how his life just... changed in the space of a heartbeat. One second he's coursing through the air, eager to see who got elected to be the Dragon Warrior, and the next one he wakes up being _elected_ the new Dragon Warrior.

It was still so difficult to believe he was here now. It was why he always checked this wasn't just a bizarre dream. Because if one day he were to wake up with his father yelling that he was late to work... if he was to wake up being just 'Po' again, whose only purpose in life was to serve noodles...

He didn't know what he'd do.

"Late snack?"

Po jumped and unconsciously acquired a defensive pose before registering who spoke.

"M-master Shifu!" He stammered, relaxing a d sitting back down "I've told you a thousand times not to _do_ that! One day, you will give me a heart attack, I swear"

"And as I always tell you," Master Shifu said calmly, sitting next to the panda "You should always be aware of your surroundings, panda. It is a very important skill for kung-fu and..."

But Po wasn't listening, as he had just realized two things: Master Shifu had with him a bowl filled with sweet bean buns, and he was still hungry.

Shifu noticed his inattention and chuckled softly, handing the second bowl stacked below the filled one, ling with a pair of chopsticks. Po was about to happily serve himself some when Shifu whipped out his own pair of chopsticks and stopped Po.

Once upon a time, Po would have been annoyed at someone stopping him from eating. Now though, he only grinned and accepted the challenge.

This kind of food fights had become a game for the two of them, sort of an inside joke from Po's days of training to become the Dragon Warrior.

It felt nice, to have this easy camaraderie and, dare he think it, friendship with his Master.

But anyway, now he had to concentrate. Concentrate...

With a victorious shout, Po finally caught a bean bun and, dodging Shifu's attempt to steal it from him, he managed to bring it to his mouth and eat it. With a laugh, the red panda lifted his chopsticks in defeat.

Po wiggled his empty bowl and, as it was custom, Shifu served the winner half of the buns, which Po started munching on happily.

"When did this silly thing became a tradition when we eat bean buns?" Shifu mused with a smile, bringing one of his own buns to his face.

"Swince ma trwaining, ah thwink" Po managed to answer.

"Ah, yes those days" Shifu sighed "You know, they were the most fun I'd had in ages"

"Sadist" Mumbled Po.

"Excuse me? Did you say something?"

"Nothing!"

Shifu smirked knowingly and continued talking.

"They were fun. And for the first time in days, I didn't think about Tai Lung's escape, or the danger we all were in. I focused on training you. I also focused on thinking that it was the weirdest training method I've ever used" He chuckled "Food. Who would have thought?"

"Yeah well, I'm always hungry" Po shrugged unapologetically. Shifu just shook his head fondly and turned to stare at the stars.

They sat eating in silence for a few minutes before Po couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"So, what are you doing here at this hour, Master Shifu?"

"That should be my line" Shifu chuckled "You aren't exactly easy to wake up. But you were looking pretty thoughtful when I found you. What's on your mind?"

"Oh, it was nothing, just..." Po sighed "I was just thinking about how amazing my life is right now. I mean, this has always been my dream, you know? Be a kung-fu master, the Dragon Warrior of all things, train with the Furious Five, have _you_ as my master... This is literally everything I ever wanted. And I was wondering, and I know this is stupid, but... what would I do if this was just a dream? I've had similar ones my whole life, you know. I'm a famous warrior who has the respect of everyone here, in my dreams I mean, but then I woke up and I was just... Po. A nobody who is nothing special, and who is useless for anything that isn't serving noodles.

"What would I do if I wake up one day and find that this is just one of my dreams? That I am still just... me? I wake up every morning checking that I'm still in my room here, that this life is real and I just... I don't know what I would do if it wasn't."

Shifu stayed quiet, processing the surprisingly deep thoughts of the panda.

"I see" He finally said.

"It's stupid, isn't it?" Po laughed "I mean, even my dreams aren't this crazy- OUCH!" Po stopped as Shifu's hand jabbed into his side "What was that for?!"

"If it hurts then it isn't a dream," Shifu said simply, retracting his hand and returning to his previous, relaxed position "This life isn't going to go away. I can do that every morning if it helps you remember" He offered "The Furious Five can help, too"

"NO!" Po screamed, sweat pouring down his face as mornings of pain plagued his imagination "That won't be necessary! I can remember fine on my own, I promise!"

"Are you sure? Maybe we should still do it, just in case..."

"NO THANK YOU!"

"Hmm... If you say so..." Shifu's tone was doubtful, but in his eyes sparkles a little playful light of mischief "Your training from now on will be harder though. Enough to be impossible to appear in your dreams - because it will be impossible for you to imagine that level of hell. Yes, we shall do that." He decided, standing up and ignoring Po's pleas "I will go plan it now"

Po groaned in defeat, wishing tomorrow would never come and trying to plan a way to steal those plans before they were finished... Though thinking it better, Shifu would just increase the difficulty as a punishment...

"Oh, and Po?"

Po stopped groaning and turned his full attention to his Master, because he only used his name when he was going to say something important.

"Yes, Master Shifu?"

"Do you remember when you told me that you hoped I could turn you into something different, something better, than 'just Po'?"

"I... Yes" Po answered, confused.

"Do you think I managed? To erase 'just Po' and substitute him with someone better?"

"Well... I am the Dragon Warrior. A hero, and a kung-fu master. Of course you did"

"I did not"

"...what?"

"I did not erase 'just Po'. I just... Liberated his potential" Shifu turned and looked at Po, eyes serious "This 'just Po' you seem to hate hid the Dragon Warrior. Hid the kung-fu master. Hid everything you are now. But most importantly? It didn't change. This 'just Po' is a fat, smelly panda who likes to goof around and never takes things seriously. 'Just Po' is someone who likes to imitate me using the best noodles I have ever tasted. 'Just Po' has made Tigress laugh. Has made _me_ laugh, something I thought I had forgotten how to do.

"You should appreciate 'just Po' more. Because it wasn't the Dragon Warrior, or the hero, or the kung-fu master who changed things for the better. It was 'just Po'"

And with that, Shifu took the empty bowl from Po's frozen, speechless paws and began to walk back to the palace.

"Th-thank you Master Shifu!" Po finally managed, left fist on his right palm a d bowing in respect "Thank you for everything you've done for me!"

"No, thank _you_ Po!" Shifu shouted back without looking back "And now go to sleep! This little talk hasn't changed the fact that Hell waits for you tomorrow!" And smiling at the loud groan Po let out, Shifu disappeared into the palace, and into his room. He had a Hell to plan.

Back below the peach tree, Po stood up and looked at the stars before following his Master back.

He grinned. This really was the best life ever.

* * *

Next morning he regretted that last thought. This was hell.

"Come on Po!"

"You can do it!"

"Only 50 more laps!"

Po glared at the cheery Five. Sometimes he hated them all.

He still wouldn't change this for anything. This life was good.

"If you don't run faster you won't finish before lunch, and don't think we won't eat everything!"

... mostly.


End file.
